Dawn Castillo

The Dynamic Trio

by dawncastillo

You may or may not know, but I’m obsessed with Honey Girl Organics! In fact, Honey Girl is my go-to brand for all things skincare. A few month ago, they sent me their stick trio, and I instantly fell in love. Their stick trio have been a real game-changer for me, and I just love how it makes my skin feel ❤ The set...

December 20, 2017

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Beauty
My 2017 Recap

by dawncastillo

Can you believe that 2018 is only 25 days away!? I can’t help but feel eternally grateful for all the beautiful memories I’ve made this year. I feel so blessed to have been able to share my journey with my online fam, so thank you for following along. Let’s rewind and revisit some of the highlights of 2017…. let’s do this! HIGHLIGHTS: 1. My...

December 7, 2017

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Lifestyle
My Skincare Routine | Beauty

by dawncastillo

Looking to kiss your old skin care products goodbye and say hello to radiant looking skin? Then you’ve come to the right place! I started using Honey Girl about three years ago. Funny story, I came across their products because my mom was using their eye cream and facial toner as her skincare routine. I got a little curious and started using it myself....

August 3, 2017

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Beauty
6 Personal Questions with Matt | Relationships

by dawncastillo

For the longest time, people have requested from me to start sharing more of my relationship with Matt on my blog. We’ll be celebrating 6 years this July, so what better way than to ask him “6 personal questions.” So…. without further ado, here’s Matt’s FIRST guest blog post. Let’s do this. What’s the most annoying thing about Dawn? 1) That’s a hard question…there’s...

June 29, 2017

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Uncategorized
How I Got Rhabdomyolysis

by dawncastillo

On May 29th, my boyfriend, his dad, and a few close friends decided we would do a workout at Crossfit Studio City. The WOD (Work Out of the Day) was dedicated to Navy Lieutenant Michael Murphy, 29, of Patchogue, N.Y., who was killed in Afghanistan June 28th, 2005. In remembrance of Lieutenant Murphy, the Crossfit community gets together every Memorial Day and completes one...

June 10, 2017

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Uncategorized

So, you want to blog!?

Hey Ladies and Gents! Welcome back to another exciting blog topic. As you know, I’ve been blogging for four years already. I’ve experienced a ton of ups and downs in this industry but the one thing that’s always remained constant is my love for blogging and creating content for you all. My first two years of blogging was a time when I was still discovering what I wanted to talk about. Originally, I started blogging about traveling, cooking and a little bit of beauty! I’ll admit, I was kinda all over the place but it helped me figure out what I wanted to talk about. By the third and fourth year of blogging, I had learned so much already. I’m now, learning how to pitch myself to brands and collaborating with them. I also got more comfortable in reaching out to other bloggers! I’m hosting my first “blogger brunch” in two weeks ❤ There’s more to blogging than meets the eye and throughout my experience, I feel like I’ve learned enough to share with...

Five Things To Do This Valentine’s Day!

by dawncastillo

Hello Fam! I have to take a moment and say, “OMG, it’s been forever”! It’s honestly been way too long since I’ve last posted. Can’t wait to dive right in and continue this blogging journey again with a cute blog post that I put together for you all. With Valentine’s Day around the corner, I wanted to list 5 things you and your significant other can do this Thursday! Let’s do this: Ice Skating: Don’t you remember the days when you were a kid and enjoyed ice-skating with friends or that special someone? This is probably the cutest thing you can do this Thursday! Get into your cozy clothes and head over to your nearby ice-skating rink. Let loose and enjoy being a kid for a day! Scavenger Hunt: By far the most thoughtful idea yet. Quick story: Matt did this for me like four years ago. He left little notes all over the house and places where he and I would hang out. I still have all the notes and the photo album...

The Secret is Out | My South Beach Journey

by dawncastillo

The secret is out, and it feels so good to finally open up and share my weight-loss story with you all!!! About a year ago a long time friend of mine mentioned a great opportunity that might be of interest to me. The agency she was working for was looking for candidates for an upcoming weight-loss program. She recommended that I submit my story and photos to the agency as soon as possible due to the amount of interest these types weight loss programs generate. I quickly gathered some pictures and composed the letter that would change my life forever! Five days after submitting my story, I received an email from Paige (agent) telling me that I had been pre-selected for the program- YAY! She then scheduled an interview – more like an audition – where the agent asked a number of questions while being recorded on camera- yikes! I’d be lying if I said, I wasn’t nervous. When the day to interview finally arrived, I remembered being excited yet nervous while on the...

What’s Inside My BirchBox ! |Review

by dawncastillo

Who on here is a BirchBox user? This is my second #BirchBox and my very first review on their service. I’m super excited to share my thoughts on this subscription box because I know so many of you are curious about it. I had seen BirchBox’s advertisement on T.V for months and then finally one day, I said to myself, ” I need a subscription box! That way I can try new products out before buying them and see if I like them or not.” I immediately thought of BirchBox and that same night I went online and signed up. Can you believe that for just $10 a month you can score name brand products – small but still – and test them out! As a blogger, this helps eliminate a lot of the guessing game. Will I like this product? Is it worth the investment? As I’m sure you know already, buying makeup, hair and skin products can get expensive very quickly. With BirchBox, I was able to customize my product preferences and...

Men’s Watches – A Unique Valentine’s Day Gift

by dawncastillo

When you’ve been in a committed relationship for the past six years like Matthew, and I have been, finding the perfect gift can get a little tricky. We’re the type of couple that loves surprising one another and going all out for special occasions. I wouldn’t exactly call ourselves the adventurous type, but we do enjoy a good surprise. Whether it’s a surprised cooked meal, mini road trips to San Francisco, Friday date nights or cute scavenger hunt at the park; we are all about showing our love for one another. With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, I knew I wanted to give Matthew a personalized gift that was thoughtful, yet giving him something he could wear and use every day. When JORD Wood Watches reached out to me about their Valentine’s Day Campaign, I knew I had to get on board. JORD offers a variety of stylish wooden watches for both men and women. With their custom wood watch engraving, you can make any occasion memorable for years to come. I chose...

3 ways to Kick your New Year’s Resolutions into High Gear!

by dawncastillo

It’s the New Year which means new goals, hopes, and dreams. I hope that by this time you’ve already been working some of them.! If not there’s no need to panic there’s still plenty of time to get back on track. Today, I wanted to share three easy ways to help kick your New Year’s Resolutions into high gear. Let’s get started. 1. Set goals that are simple and realistic! How many times have we set high expectations and goals for ourselves and fail to follow through or lose motivation? The answer is probably….. always ! It’s great to have high expectations but take each goal one step at a time. For example, one of my personal goals this year is to read one book per month. I set a ” realistic ” goal because I knew if I said I wanted to read two books each month, it probably wouldn’t happen.. and this is just me being honest with myself. Instead, I set a goal (aka, a simple goal) that I knew I...

The Dynamic Trio

by dawncastillo

You may or may not know, but I’m obsessed with Honey Girl Organics! In fact, Honey Girl is my go-to brand for all things skincare. A few month ago, they sent me their stick trio, and I instantly fell in love. Their stick trio have been a real game-changer for me, and I just love how it makes my skin feel ❤ The set of three are the perfect travel sized pieces for any girl on the go. It’s one of the reasons why I took it on my trip to Thailand. Whether you’re going on a mini road trip or planning a two-week vacation, the trio sticks will keep your skin looking flawless. What exactly are the trio sticks? The stick trio are meant to nourish and protect your skin from everyday harm while giving you the love and care your skin needs. The trio sticks aim to protect, hydrate and provide a good primer for daily use. When do you use your trio sticks? In the morning, I’ll start by applying the...

My 2017 Recap

by dawncastillo

Can you believe that 2018 is only 25 days away!? I can’t help but feel eternally grateful for all the beautiful memories I’ve made this year. I feel so blessed to have been able to share my journey with my online fam, so thank you for following along. Let’s rewind and revisit some of the highlights of 2017…. let’s do this! HIGHLIGHTS: 1. My Very First Tattoo I’ll never forget the day when I decided to get my very first tattoo. I started to research for meaningful phrases and words that spoke to me. I came across the word Bonheur -meaning happiness in French-and instantly fell in love. Every day I look it and remind myself to be happy even when things aren’t necessarily going my way. When the day finally arrived, I kept asking M, “Should I go through with this?” I was so afraid of what the pain would feel like and remember asking everyone to explain it to me. Sadly enough no one could describe the sensation or feeling to me...

How to Pack for a 2 Week Trip | Travel Guide

by dawncastillo

Hello Fam! I don’t know if you’ve heard, but I leave to Thailand in 3 days!!!!! I’m still trying to let it all sink in because M and I planned this trip six months ago and I just can’t believe it’s finally here. For those that don’t know, I’ve had a flying phobia ever since I could remember. I don’t know why it started, but I always get nervous before a big trip. If you guys have any recommendations or remedies on how to calm the nerves, leave them in the comments down below. Anything helps. With so many people flying out for vacation and the holidays, I wanted to put together a guide on how to pack for a two-week trip. After four big trips and many mini getaways, I think I’ve mastered the art of packing– no joke. Last year I bought an Ebag –which I’ll link down below–, and it made traveling so much easier for me and faster to get in and out of the airport. I’m not going to...

My Journey with the University of Phoenix

by dawncastillo

2014 was the year where I set a lot of things into motion for my career, my traveling, and my educational journey with The University of Phoenix. It was definitely a good year and one that I’ll cherish forever. In this blog post, I’m going to break it down into sections and answer questions that many of my friends, followers and family members have always ask me about UOF. Let’s do this!!! Enrollment: Enrolling at the University of Phoenix was pretty simple. I would say all counselors were very helpful and knowledgeable. They made it super easy and took me step-by-step on the entire process. I did a lot of research and asked a lot– can’t stress enough how many questions I asked. It was crucial for me to know that my decision to commit to this college was the best option for my lifestyle and work life. Note: I would recommend getting your general classes out of the way at a community college. Also, double check that the courses you are taking elsewhere...